Howie watched for Brandi among all the people exiting the plane. When he finally did see her, he hurried towards her, “Hey beautiful.” He gave her a sweet kiss that left Brandi grinning up at him.
“I missed you.” She whispered
Howie smiled, “I missed you too. Come on, everybody’s at the hotel waiting to meet you.”
Brandi looked at him, “Everybody? Who’s everybody?”
“Well, the fellas, and Stephanie, and Megan, and Laura.”
“Brandi looked at him, “And these girls would be who?”
“Stephanie is Nick’s friend, and Megan and Laura are friends of hers.”
“Only friends of Stephanie?” She asked
“Hey, you know my heart stays with you.” Howie said winking at her
Brandi laughed and hit him in the arm, “You are so weird.”
“I am not!” Howie retorted “Well, since I am so weird then maybe I won’t let you ride in the limo.”
Brandi looked at him, “What limo?”
“That one.” Howie said pointing to the white stretch that waited for them
Brandi gasped, “Did I say you were weird? I meant wonderful, yes, that’s what I meant.”
Howie smiled, “I guess I can forgive you, just this one time.”
**
Laura was walking down the hall to the elevator when Kevin stepped out of his room, “Oh, hello.”
Laura smiled, “Hi.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes, I have some things to do at home.”
“Oh.”
They stood there for a minute in an awkward silence, “May I walk you home?” Kevin finally asked
Laura smiled and nodded, “sure.”
They walked to the elevator in silence, once they were on it Laura hit the lobby button, “So, uh, how do you know Stephanie?”
“We went to church together when we were growing up.”
“Oh.” Silence filled the air again, “When did you move to New York?”
“About a year and a half ago.”
“Why?”
Laura smiled, “I have always wanted to live in the big apple. I love art, I was thrilled when I got the job at the gallery.”
“Are you an artist?” Kevin asked opening the hotel front door for her
“No, I just appreciate it.”
They walked down the street, watching the people hurrying about as if they had someplace to be. Kevin rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Laura for a moment, she didn’t seem to notice because she was looking in a store window. He didn’t say anything for a moment. When he realized they were almost to her apartment he took a deep breath, “I usually don’t do this,” he paused and looked at her, she was looking at him with a sweet look on her face, “but, would you like to go out to dinner sometime?”
Laura looked thoughtful for a minute, “I’d like that.”
Kevin grinned at her, “I’ll call you.”
Laura was about to say something when two screaming girls pushed her out of the way, “OMIGOD!!!YOU ARE KEVIN RICHARDSON!!!!I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!WILL YOU SIGN THIS FOR ME PLEASE!!” Kevin smiled and signed the piece of paper she thrusted at him, he looked up at Laura and was surprised to see her looking in the store windows waiting patiently. He finished talking to the girls, and when they were gone Kevin stood and continued to watch Laura, it was several moments before she noticed him, “Oh, they’re gone, you should have said something.”
Kevin shrugged, most girls would have either walked off, gotten mad, or watched with their mouth open. Laura simply just waited patiently, that was a first, and that interested him even more.
**
A.J. came in the girls room huffing and fell on the bed. Stephanie stuck her head out of the bathroom, “What are you doing?”
“I’m depressed.” A.J. moaned
“Well, let me get dressed and I’ll let you complain.” Stephanie said before sticking her head back in the bathroom
A.J. simply mumbled something in return.
Stephanie pulled the T-shirt over her head and opened the door, walking in the room she sat down on the bed across from where A.J. was moaning, “Yes?”
A.J. looked up at her from where he was laying face down, “I need a women.”
Stephanie laughed and A.J. glared at her, “shut up!”
“I’m sorry, but what brought this on?”
“Everybody’s got a women, except me!”
“Alex, you know that’s not true.”
“Yes it is! Kev’s all googly eyes about Laura, Howie has Brandi, and….”
Stephanie crossed her arms, “And what? Nick doesn’t have a ‘women’ and neither does Brian.”
“Yeah, but they hang out with you and Megan.”
“Well, so do YOU!”
A.J. looked thoughtful for a minute, “That’s beside the point!”
“No it’s not,” Stephanie said getting up and sitting down beside him, “You just need to get out.”
“I wanna stay here and complain!”
“Go dream about Gwen, or something.”
“That’s old news.” A.J. started to sit up and found himself right next to Stephanie, she didn’t move and neither did he for a minute until he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn’t a long kiss, just long enough for Nick and Megan to see, and for Nick to storm off, very angry.
